The present invention relates to an actuating device of the articulated lever or cam type for the precise positioning of a pivotable arm. In particular, the present invention relates to an actuating device of the articulated lever or cam type typically used for handling elements during metalworking processes, e.g. in welding lines of the vehicle body construction industry.
Metalworking processes require a very precise positioning of the elements to be worked and that the positioning is kept during time. Furthermore, repeatability of the exact positioning must be assured at each working cycle. In order to achieve a very precise, constant and repeatable positioning, the actuating devices nowadays used in the vehicle body construction industry typically comprise a sliding control piston which is alternatively operated by an actuator or manually. The control piston is operatively connected to a pivotable arm through interposition of an articulated lever or a cam mechanism in order to induce a pivoting movement of the pivotable arm triggered by the sliding movement of the piston. The displacement triggered by the piston moves the pivotable arm from a non-operating angular position to an operating angular position. The non-operating angular position can be set through an initial adjustment of the stroke of the piston.
Throughout the present description and in the appended claims the expression “lateral side of the device” refers to any side parallel to the extension of the piston, namely the piston axis, and “bottom and top side of the device” refer to the sides perpendicular to the piston axis.